Product creators like to know who is using their product and how they are using it so that they can collect better analytics and customize the experience for each user to provide a better experience. In the context of online services, users have traditionally been identified through the use of browser cookies and user logins. Computer programmers have recently developed new methods outside of cookies and user logins to determine unique visitors using the same device. One such method is called “fingerprinting,” which collects enough metadata from the use of an online service to uniquely identify the visitor. This metadata could include IP address, configuration settings, and even usage and behavior patterns.
However, non-computer products in the real world have not had the same opportunities. Use of such non-computer products can't be tracked using any cookies or user logins. Additionally, use of such non-computer products is not tied to any online service that affords an opportunity for collecting metadata that may be analyzed using fingerprinting techniques. For example, there are no cookies in a car to say how many unique drivers drive it, and a lawn mower cannot tell the difference between a husband and wife mowing the lawn.